Hillsdale Local Schools considers math intervention program

Thursday

Aug 10, 2017 at 4:00 AM

By Kristi Schweitzer T-G Staff Writer

JEROMESVILLE -- Middle school students struggling in math will soon be able to get extra assistance this year.

During the Hillsdale Five-Year Strategic Plan's August quarterly meeting, participating staff and board of education members gathered to discuss implementations to the plan that was approved in July's board meeting.

On the curriculum side, high school social studies teacher Tom Selvage shared plans to add a math intervention program at the middle school for the 2017-18 school year to accompany the reading intervention program put in place the previous year.

The curriculum group also discussed adding academic advisers for grades seven and eight along with developing a formal response to intervention, or approach for how teachers can best communicate with parents about a struggling child before the problem gets too serious.

At the communication spectrum, board president Vella King said the district will have a mailing go out next week updating all the families in the area of positive changes that have been implemented in the five-year plan as well as future endeavors.

The group discussed ways to better improve its communication with the community, including working with Ashland University's public relations team. Superintendent Steve Dickerson said he has been in touch with AU president Carlos Campo on ways to adopt their promotion practices.

During the finance report, King said nothing has changed in the five-year financial forecast update except for a better positive balance in the 6.01 line that shows overall expenditures and revenues. With Gov. John Kasich's biennial budget, the district had expected to lose $180,000 over two years, but instead will lose $26,000 in state revenue. This puts the district in positive standing and on track with the strategic plan.

On the facility side, board member Jason Chio said an engineer had been out to inspect the middle and elementary school buildings and suggested checking back in another five to six years to determine if the roofs will need to be replaced. The district replaced the high school roof during the 2016-17 school year as part of the strategic plan.

Chio said the group discussed options for the property the district owns near the Mohicanville Dam. Originally acquired by the former Jeromesville Local Schools in the '60s, the near 50 acerage has been in the district's possession unused for years. Due to its location in flood-prone areas, building is out of the question for most of the area, so the group suggested putting the property up for sale.

Chio shared plans for an architect to inspect the high school wall behind the band room, auditorium and locker rooms in the near future. While currently in safe condition, the wall has shifted, so the group wants to get an expert's opinion on what should be done next.

Kristi Schweitzer can be reached at 419-281-0581, ext. 237, or at kschweitzer@times-gazette.com. Follow her on Twitter @krschweitzer.